[Augi]

This weekend I wanted to reload some 9MM Luger. I was having a very difficult time sizing and decapping. At one point, one of the cases stuck in the die and would not come out. I had to disassemble the die and knock the case out with a punch. I started using a small amount of case lube and the next ten or so sized without a problem and then I could feel them get stiffer and stiffer. I've never had this happen before and I've probably reloaded no less than a 1000.
Anybody have an idea of what's going on or what I should look for?
This is a Lee Carbide set I am refering to..

 

[Happysniper1]

FWIW, I have never needed to lube pistol caliber cases being sized in a TC die (I use RCBS), never had one jam or break.

Sometimes I will encounter a bunch of cases that require extraordinary effort to push into the sizer, but this being mostly range brass I make one of two assumptions about them: (1) case is excessively deformed due to previous owner loading them to high or excessively high pressures, or (2) the gun it was fired out of may have an out of spec chamber. Both of these conditions will cause the case to swell more than is the norm, and this will also lead to shortened case life or incipient case head separation (which is what happened in your die when the case broke).

I have no experience with Lee dies. It is also possible that the Lee dies are of a closer tolerance than the RCBS dies.

If this is your own brass and it is factory brass (new ammo) fired out of a new (or at least, not worn-out) gun, you can eliminate both possibilities noted above, and most likely it is then just a case of either plain old unreliable brass or more likely, the sizer die is of closer tolerance than whatever you are used to using before.

Now, since you already had a case head separation, a careful man would go back and inspect the sized cases for any signs of case head separation (including any stress lines in the case web). It's a pain but is OK if the case breaks in the sizer, it is not OK if it breaks in the chamber of your gun.

All that being said, there is no rule that says you should not use lube with TC dies. Personally, I use Hornady aerosol case lube, none of the pump-spray or liquid roll-it-on-a-pad lube. Used sparingly, that stuff will last quite a while.

Cheers!

 

[DJohnson8]

That sounds very strange. I have a lee classic and progressive with 5 different loads and dies. I have reloaded well over 5000 9mm and 5000 .40 and not one time ever had an issue at all. I would contact lee and tell them, maybe they will send you new dies??

 

[DJohnson8]

That sounds very strange. I have a lee classic and progressive with 5 different loads and dies. I have reloaded well over 5000 9mm and 5000 .40 and not one time ever had an issue at all. I would contact lee and tell them, maybe they will send you new dies??

Sorry forgot to add that I have NEVER used lube on a pistol case.

 

[Happysniper1]

Sorry forgot to add that I have NEVER used lube on a pistol case.

Likewise, and all my pistol dies are TC.

 

[Happysniper1]

*PS*

TC = Tungsten Carbide, i.e., Carbide dies.

 

[trex1310]

Poor cleaning of the brass will contribute to this peoblem. Also, I
would clean my dies once in a while. I use TC RCBS & Lyman dies
and never had a problem in over 40 years.

 

[Happysniper1]

TREX is right, and that (cleaning the dies) is especially important on dies that you use case lube on. With rifle dies (i.e., bottlenecked cases), excess lube can trap air and form a bubble that will dimple the shoulder, and dirt could do the same thing.

For cleaning, I just take some aerosol gun cleaner (like Winchester gun scrubber) and zap the inside walls of the dies and the expander ball and shaft.

Thanks for reminding us all, TREX!

cheers!

 

[brutusvk]

Never had this issue either. (and I have Lee dies) The only issue I have even had is the depriming pin can get stuck in certain Speer 357sig brass.

 

[Mike P]

Only issue ive had so far loading 9mm is repriming brass that is marked with WCC on the case. I think those have crimped primers originally making the primer pockets smaller. Sometimes they take a new primer sometimes they dont w/o destroying them.

Dont know what brand they were originally but I bought them and shot them before I started loading. Im now trying to weed those out of my stock pile.

 

[zipper046]

FWIW...i have carbide dies and I still use Hornady One Shot lube...makes loading real easy, even Glocked brass.

To clean i spray with either some brake or carb cleaner...

 

[Happysniper1]

Only issue ive had so far loading 9mm is repriming brass that is marked with WCC on the case. I think those have crimped primers originally making the primer pockets smaller. Sometimes they take a new primer sometimes they dont w/o destroying them.

Dont know what brand they were originally but I bought them and shot them before I started loading. Im now trying to weed those out of my stock pile.

A "Primer Pocket Uniformer" should help repair those nonstandard (read milsurp) primer pockets.

 

[Mike P]

A "Primer Pocket Uniformer" should help repair those nonstandard (read milsurp) primer pockets.

I would rather chunk them than add the extra labor. All I want to do is tumble and reload my pistol ammo. I'm not interested in super clean primer pockets for pistol not when my progressive deprimes/resizes/reprimes all in the first station.

It's only the ones marked WCC. All others are fine.

 

[Happysniper1]

If there are a goodly number of them (marked WCC for Winchester Cartridge Company, and if there is also a circle with a cross in it, it is NATO spec ammo), you could offer them up for the reloaders on this Forum. Just a thought.

And this is yet another reason why a progressive will not work for me: I would rather run them thru a Pocket Uniformer (which not only scrubs the primer pocket, it shaves off the so-called "military crimp" on the pocket lip, which is what makes seating new primers problematic. A Military Crimp Remover will only shave the pocket lip. Both are available as hand-tools (looks like a short screwdriver) or as attachments to an electric motor-driven case prep center.

Just tossing that out there....

 

[Mike P]

If I were loading rifle rounds for long distance accuracy maybe but I'm simply not investing that kind of time into pistol range ammo.

 

[Happysniper1]

Like they say, we all do it the way we do it. Nothing wrong with that.

Hey, Mike, I can still recall a time before you got into reloading....how's it going for you? Any guesstimate as to how many rounds you have loaded up and fired? Just curious....

*PS* Great hobby, isn't it!

 

[Mike P]

Like they say, we all do it the way we do it. Nothing wrong with that.

Hey, Mike, I can still recall a time before you got into reloading....how's it going for you? Any guesstimate as to how many rounds you have loaded up and fired? Just curious....

*PS* Great hobby, isn't it!

I've loaded 8-9k ish. I haven't really kept up. I have somewhere around 3-4k loaded up and ready to roll right now with a ton of components to go. The one thing I do know are primers would be the first to go in an ammo crisis and are simply the most important component so I buy them as often as I can find them{in the two kinds I use}. There is a local show this weekend and my only reason for going would be to get about 5k primers and maybe an 8lb jug of powder.

Last time I checked myself I'm up to the 450+ an hour range on the Dillon.

 

[Mike P]

Oh, and now that I finally have my OWN tumbler......that added a whole new level to how often I will be sitting down a loading. That thing is kickin butt. I've already tumbled over 2k of brass since I got it.

 

[Happysniper1]

good for you, Mike!

 

[Mike P]

good for you, Mike!

I actually owe you for passin on it.